1

Ernie Chamberlain
Point Lonsdale VIC 3225
ernestchris@tpg.com.au
Research Note 1B/2019
4 March 2019
Department of Veterans’ Affairs - Canberra
Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force - Wellington
Australian War Memorial - Canberra
Australian Army History Unit - Canberra
ADFA/UNSW – Military Operations Analysis Team, Canberra
Australian Army Military Intelligence Museum - Canungra
National Vietnam Veterans’ Museum – Phillip Island
1st Intelligence Battalion, Enoggera
Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) F. Fairhead – RAR Association

The Battle of Long Tân: Vietnamese Accounts Reviewed – “What did they say ?”

The Battle of Long Tân – fought in Phước Tuy Province on 18 August 1966 between
1 ATF and Việt Cộng forces, has been related in reports – and in several books and articles,
by Australian writers.1

Over the years, several Vietnamese communist histories have recounted the Battle of
Long Tân – including the Đồng Nai History of 1985, two D445 Battalion versions (1991,
2005), the published 5th VC Division account (2005), the 275th VC Regiment version (2005),
and lesser District and Party accounts.2 Some captured/recovered VC documents - and a PW
interrogation and a rallier debrief, also refer to the Battle. This Note - a short compendium,
reviews 36 accounts – in a chronological order, highlighting elements of particular interest in
bold where the accounts differ from that of Australian writers. Not surprisingly, many
Vietnamese accounts include morale-boosting hyperbole – eg minimizing their casualties and
citing inflated Australian losses3; and claiming Australian armour – including tanks, on the

1
These include – chronologically, books and articles by: Professor R. “Bob” J. O’Neill (1968); Terry Burstall
(1986, 1990, 1993); Lex McAulay (1987); Dr John Pimlott (1990); the Australian Army official history – To
Long Tan (1993) by the late Dr Ian McNeill; Bruce Horsefield DVD (1993); Bob Grandin (2004); Charles
Mollison (2006); Harry Smith (Wartime – Issue 35, 2006); Damien Lay DVD (2006); Paul Ham (2007); Dr Ian
McGibbon (2010); Dr Ashley Ekins (Wartime – Issue 55, July 2011: two articles); Ernie Chamberlain (2011,
2016); Bruce Davies with Gary McKay (2012); Fred Fairhead (2014, 2019); Harry Smith (2015, 2016); Dr. Bob
Hall, Dr Andrew Ross, Dr Amy Griffin – including the ADFA/UNSW website (2015); David Cameron (2016);
DHAAT Review Report - Kirby (2016); Bob Hartley and Barry Hampstead – DVD Ed 3 (2018); and Ron
Boxall and Professor R. “Bob” O’Neill – eds (2019). While the foregoing accounts are quite accurate, some
include errors in “enemy organisation and strength” and aspects of the Battle – eg the inclusion, in addition to
275 Regiment and D445, of “at least an additional NVA battalion”, “D440”, “D860”, and “274 VC Regiment.”
2
Some of the published works have a restricted “internal distribution”- ie classified as “lưu hành nội bộ”.
3
For sources, analysis and detail on communist and Australian casualties at the Battle of Long Tan, see
Chamberlain, E.P., The Viet Cong D445 Battalion: Their Story (and the Battle of Long Tan), 2016, Annexes F
and O – for free Internet access detail, see footnote 51. Australian casualties at the Battle were 17 KIA, one
died-of-wounds, and 24 wounded. See the official Australian Army history - McNeill, I., To Long Tan, The
 2

battlefield before the arrival of the relieving APC-mounted A/6RAR at 1835hrs. However,
any objective historical study is obliged to consider the accounts of both sides. This review
was catalysed by a Vietnamese account of the Battle of Long Tân published on a website in
late September 2017 - during a seeming “reconciliation period”, and a full translation of that
article is attached as Annex A to this Note. A map of Phước Tuy Province – showing
Vietnamese communist units and boundaries, is at page 28.

****************************

In late 2017, the “Quartermaster’s (QM’s) Notebook” 4 of the 275th VC Regiment

became available – a document captured in early February 1968 by 2RAR/NZ (ANZAC)
during Operation Coburg. Entries in that document covered the period from June to October
1966. While the QM’s notebook is unfortunately in very poor condition, some of the legible
passages covering August 1966 are quite interesting. The QM’s notebook shows that on 9
August – ie about a week before the Long Tân battle, he recorded rice issues to the
Regiment’s units and sub-units – noting their respective personnel strengths (see the extract
below). On that day, the 275th Regiment’s rear-link radio transmitter was located by signals
intelligence (SIGINT) about six kilometres north-east of the site of the subsequent Battle of
Long Tân. In the notebook – see the extract below, the 275th Regiment’s total strength was
shown as 1,011 (including: 1st Battalion – 107, 2nd Battalion – 254, and 3rd Battalion –
250); followed by the manning detail of all the support companies (C16 to C23 inclusive) and
the four staff elements of the regimental headquarters. In a note written diagonally across
those strength figures, the QM included that the “food” issue was to last until 29 August –
and did not include the daily additional subsistence allowance.

Australian Army and the Vietnam War 1950-1966, Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War
Memorial, St Leonards, 1993, p.351.
4
Chamberlain, E.P., Research Note 23/2018 - posted to the “Australia’s Vietnam War” ADFA/UNSW website
on 25 March 2018. https://vietnam.unsw.adfa.edu.au/the-battle-of-long-tan-viet-cong-numbers-and-275-
regiment-s-qm-notebook/ .
 3

Subsequently, the QM recorded his “temporary” strength-reckoning of the Regiment

on 20 August (ie two days after the Long Tân battle). This list totalled “852” – ie 159 less
than the strength figure of 1,011 recorded on 9 August. The QM’s notebook also included a
detailed listing of 111 personnel – in groups of ten, who had fought at Long Tân (including
four company commanders). This could perhaps be interpreted as the Regiment’s “WIA list”
for the Battle – but needs further analysis.5 The “20 August list” also included a food
allocation for “100 Dân Công” – ie “civilian labourers”, who had probably been engaged in
porterage and casualty evacuation activities in support of the Regiment. Further examination
of the QM’s notebook could perhaps provide additional information.

***

On 23 August 1966, a North Vietnamese news article claimed that on the “night of 16
August”, “Liberation Armed Forces … killed over 100 Australians defending the ((Núi
Đất)) post and wounded many others.6 Soon after, in a 27 August 1966 broadcast, Radio Hà
Nội claimed “over 400 Australian mercenaries” were “wiped out” – and summarized that
“two whole companies” were annihilated and another “heavily decimated”; “the day before,
17 August, the Liberation Armed Forces, in the same province wiped out 100 Australian
mercenaries.” “The victorious units” were awarded the “Liberation Military Exploits [sic –
more probably “Military Feats”] Order (Third Class)”.7

***

5
As noted, for detail on VC casualties and losses at the Battle, see: Annexes F and O in Chamberlain, E.P.,
The Viet Cong D445 Battalion: Their Story (and the Battle of Long Tan), 2016 – see “Contents” detail at Annex
B and, for free-to-read Internet access, see footnote 51. As at January 2019, the author had collated the names
and personal details of 201 members of the 275 th Regiment who had died at the Battle - or soon after (based on
official death certificates – ie: giấy báo tử, and “tombstone” data etc). Any KIA or WIA figures for the Long
Tân battle would also have to include those of the 390-strong D445 Battalion - and probably quite small
numbers from HQ 5th VC Division elements, the HQ Bà Rịa-Long Khánh-Biên Hòa Province Unit, the Võ Thị
Sáu Civil Labour Company, C.12-65 Bình Giã Assault Youth Unit, the “Surgery Element”, reconnaissance
elements (5th VC Division; and C.982), and possibly a Z39 artillery element.
6
“100 Australian Mercenaries Killed 60km South East of Saigon on August 16 [sic]”, The Vietnam Courier,
Issue No. 23 (1966), 23 August 1966, Hanoi. VCAT Item No.2130708004. This predated the oft-cited
announcements by Radio Hanoi (27 August) and Radio Peking (28 August) – see the following footnote.
7
Reports by Radio Hanoi (27 August) and Radio Peking (28 August) were promulgated to the Australian 1 ATF
forces at Núi Đất in the 1 ATF Troops Information Sheet, No.7, 29 August-4 September 1966. Very similar to
the Radio Hanoi item, Radio Peking reported: “More than 500 Australian satellite troops including two
whole companies were wiped out … In an attack on an Australian base at Nui Thu [sic] on 17th August, the
Liberation Army in Bà Rịa Province wiped out more than 100 Australian troops. In the afternoon of the
following day, the Liberation Army knocked out a number of Australian troops which fell into an ambush in
Long Tan hamlet. Then, the Liberation Forces concentrated their fire on the rest of the enemy and wiped out
more than four hundred Australian satellite troops, two companies were completely wiped out and another
company was heavily battered. Three M-113 armoured cars were destroyed.” These two reports are also cited in
McAulay, L., The Battle of Long Tan – The Legend of Anzac Upheld, op.cit., 1987, pp.145-146. McAulay
notes that: “The next day, Radio Peking repeated the gist of the Hanoi report.”
 4

Soon after the Battle, the Việt Cộng “circulated handbills which claimed: ‘700
Australians killed, one battalion and two companies of infantry, two squadrons of APC’s
destroyed.’ ”.8

***

Following the Battle of Long Tân, a Liberation Armed Forces journalist visited Việt
Cộng medical facilities in the Mây Tào Mountains region and wrote: “We suffered a quite
large number of casualties in that battle ((ie Long Tân)) – more than 600 people, to such an
extent that the 1500th Military Hospital (of the rear services group of Military Zone D555 –
whose designation was later changed to Group 1500, and was the largest in the Eastern
Region) no longer had any spaces to treat wounded. I visited the 1500th Military Hospital and
saw that it was true that there weren’t any more places for the wounded.” The journalist also
recounted the fear within the 5th VC Division of the “New Zealand orchestra” (ie artillery)
at Núi Đất.”9

***

A Directive by the Việt Cộng’s Military Region MR1/Eastern Nam Bộ in mid-

September 1966 on “future activity for 1966-67” noted that in first eight months of 1966,
Military Region 1 forces “had knocked out of action 9,498 US personnel and 568 Australian
personnel.”10
***

In his 153-page diary (to 7 October 1966 - recovered by 5RAR in the Núi Thị Vải
Hills on 20 October 1966), Nguyễn Nam Hưng (2ic/CofS of the 274th VC Main Force
Regiment) related that on 18 August “the 5th Regiment ((ie the 275th Regiment)) attacked at
Núi Đất” and “600 Australians” were killed and “1 Australian Battalion” was
“exterminated”. In his notebook entry for 18 August 1966, Hưng wrote detailed notes – see
the extract below, ie a military operational appreciation, planning for a future attack on

8
O’Neill, R.J., Vietnam Task – The 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment 1966-1967, Cassell Australia,
Melbourne, 1968, p.86 – and as cited in McNeill, I., To Long Tan, op.cit., 1993, p.366. On “700 Australians
killed”, see also the “700 killed” propaganda statement by the rallier Nguyễn Văn Nhường at footnote 15, and
the 1975 Vietnamese “historical novel” at footnote 16.
9
Hưu Thanh, “Miền Đông Nam Bộ khói lửa” (“Fire and Sword in the Eastern Region”), 28 August 2008 – ie as
related by “H.B.” Note that some VC casualties from clashes during II FFV Corps-level Operation Toledo were
also probably at the 1500th Military Hospital at this time. The D445 History also related: “A New Zealand
artillery battery of 21 [sic] guns provided fire support for the Núi Đất base. This was a strong capability – with a
rapid rate of fire that was very destructive. The people came to call it: ‘The New Zealand Orchestra’.”
Chamberlain, E.P., The Viet Cong D445 Battalion: Their Story (and the Battle of Long Tan), 2016, p.66.
10
Eastern Nam Bộ, Directive No. 90/C.T.B., 16 September 1966 - CDEC Log 01-2270-67. While the presence
of the “Royal Australian Regiment” at Núi Đất was noted, no specific engagements with Australian troops were
cited. For further detail on claimed VC and Australian casualties and losses, see: Annex F to Chamberlain, E.P.,
The Viet Cong D445 Battalion: Their Story (and the Battle of Long Tan), 2016. Military Region 1 – later as
Military Region 7, often overstated enemy casualties. In 1969, Military Region 7 claimed: “approximately 2,509
Australian troops were killed, resulting in six companies and five platoons destroyed.” – MR7 Draft Activity
Plan, 10 December 1969, VCAT Item 2121415008.
 5

strategic hamlets on Route 1 (“The Road 1 Area”) in the Hưng Nghĩa-Hưng Lộc region of
central-western Long Khánh Province).11

***

In late 1966, the notebook of a VC cadre - Trương Văn Tinh, was recovered by 5RAR
following a clash (2 VC KIA) on 29 March 1967 at YS 381678, six kilometres west of the 1
ATF base. Tinh – an assistant platoon commander, related that C13 Company of the 3rd
Battalion (formerly the D605 NVA Battalion) of the 275th Regiment was proposed for a
medal and awarded a “letter and certificate of commendation” from the Military Region for
“killing 35 Australian servicemen” at Long Tân – see the extract below.12

11
See the USMACV captured document translations - including CDEC Log 11-1259-66. Some Australian
sources incorrectly imply that the 274th VC Regiment was involved in the Battle of Long Tân – however, for a
detailed analysis, see Chamberlain, E.P., The Viet Cong D445 Battalion: Their Story, op.cit., 2016 – Annex N:
The 274th Regiment - Not at the Battle of Long Tan.
12
1 ATF, INTSUM No. 88-67, Núi Đất, 29 March 1967, CDEC Log 04-2690-67, VCAT Item F034601120639.
 6

***

On 30 September 1966, a “Certificate of Commendation” (“Bằng Khen”) was

awarded to Trịnh Văn Mở - see opposite, for his “combat exploits in the battle at Long Tân,
Núi Đất” signed by the assistant political commissar (Fó Chính Ủy) of the 275th Regiment -
Nguyễn Dương. Trịnh Văn Mở - a Northerner, was born in Xuân Tiến village of Thọ Xuân
District, Thanh Hóa Province. Two “Letters of Appreciation” (Giấy Khen) - pre-dating the
Battle of Long Tân, were recovered from the Long Tân battle site on 19 August by 1 ATF
personnel – for “Mã Tan Tan” and “Phạm Văn Hóa”, both born in the Mekong Delta
province of Rạch Gia and members of the 1st Battalion of the 275th Regiment. Copies of those
two items were returned to Vietnamese authorities in Hà Nội in November 2014.13

13
Trịnh Văn Mở’s certificate was found among the documents of his company commander - Phạm Văn Chơi
(OC 13th Company, 3rd Battalion). The documents were recovered by US 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
(11ACR) elements at YS 602699 (5km northwest of Xuyên Mộc town) on 24 March 1967 (ie in AO Silver
during Operation Portsea). 11ACR found 81 packs (in three piles) including two packs of documents – left
behind in a 275th Regiment assembly area and not recovered due to their forced withdrawal in another direction.
For detail, see Chamberlain, E.P., The Battle of Long Tan: NVA/VC Documents, Weapons, Interrogation
Reports – Research Note 5/2016, 4 June 2016. See also page 30, footnote 52 for one of the 38 charcoal sketches
recovered from the site of the Long Tân battle by Australian troops on 19 August 1966.
 7

“Certificate of Commendation” (“Bằng Khen”) awarded to Trịnh Văn Mở

***

In February 1969, a very brief account of the Long Tân battle was provided by the
assistant political officer of the 275th Regiment’s 3rd Battalion - ie NVA POW Captain Trần
Văn Tiếng 14 as follows: “On approx 10 August 1966, the Regiment went to the area of Đất
Mountain in Đất Đỏ District (vicinity YS 4867) in Phước Tuy Province. On approx 17
August, the Regiment - along with the 1st Bà Rịa Battalion aka 45 [sic] Battalion (Local
Force), ambushed elements of the Australian Army as they were coming from their camp on
Đất Mountain. The battle lasted for approx four hours in which the Regiment sustained over
200 casualties including both KIA and WIA. After the battle, the Regiment moved back to
the Lá Jungle Base Camp ((ie Rừng Lá – vicinity YT 7610)).”

***

On 29 July 1969, Nguyễn Văn Nhường (aka Lộc) – then the “C2 Company
Commander D445”, rallied to 6RAR elements at a Regional Force post at Phước Lợi village.
Nhường declared that he had been a D445 Battalion platoon 2ic at the Long Tân battle. In his
debriefings15, he stated that the VC force at the Battle numbered “a total of approximately
2,000 men”, “the official 5 Division casualty figure was 200 killed – but that he himself saw
more than 200 bodies on the battlefield or being carried away, and believed the Việt Cộng
tally to be grossly understated. … D445 had 10 killed in action and 16 wounded in action”.

14
NVA Captain Trần Văn Tiếng – aged 36, the assistant political officer of the 3rd Battalion of the 275th
Regiment, was captured by ARVN forces on 26 February 1969.
15
McNeil, I., To Long Tan, op.cit, 1993, pp.362-363. Pannell, B.W., “Post-script to Long Tan”, Australian
Infantry, Vol.16, No.2, May 1970, pp.11-12. See also: Chamberlain, E., The Viet Cong D445 Battalion, op.cit.,
2016, footnote 415 - and detail of Nguyễn Văn Nhường’s debriefings at Annex B, footnote 19. For similar
references to “700 Australians KIA”, see footnotes 8 and 16 in this Research Note.
 8

He added that - after the Battle, the Viet Cong “spread propaganda that 700 Australians
were killed.”

Nguyễn Văn Nhường (centre) at the Bà Rịa Chiêu Hồi Centre in discussions with
Lieutenant E.P. Chamberlain (intelligence liaison officer - Bà Rịa) – late July 1969

***

In 1975, a Vietnamese historical novel 16, included passages on the Battle of Long
Tan: “Technical information ((ie signals intelligence)) indicated two ((Australian) battalions
were operating in the Long Tan rubber plantation … the second company ((of D445)) was
ordered forward. .. The enemy’s leading platoon was wiped out by our 2nd Company. By
about 10am, we had over-run the enemy position. About 700 Australians were wiped out.
The remainder fled back to Núi Đất.”

***

16
Bùi Đức Ái (“Anh Đức”, 1935-2014), Đứa con của Đất , A Son of the Soil, Văn Học Giải Phóng, Hồ Chí
Minh City, 1975. Chapter 32: http://www.vnmilitaryhistory.net/index.php?topic=21094.90 . For similar
references to “700 Australians KIA”, see the preceding footnotes 8 and 15.
 9

In 1985, a publication: The Heroic Units of Đồng Nai 17 , included:

“The most notable engagement was the first battle with the Americans in Ấp Bắc hamlet
(Long Phước, Châu Đức) – together with the later battle when - together with the 5th Main
Force Division, we killed more than 300 Australians and Americans at Long Tân in 1966.”

***

The Đồng Nai History – published in 1986 18, related that: “D445 Battalion - in
coordination with main force units in the Province, was ordered to hit the Australians hard to
‘welcome’ their arrival. … As expected, on 19 August, the Australian forces deployed their
3rd [sic] Battalion – supported by tanks [sic: ‘xe tăng’] from their Núi Đất base and fell into
our ambush positions. … at Vườn Xoài (between Long Tân and Long Phước). In the pelting
rain, the 5th Regiment ((ie the VC title for the 275th VC Regiment)) and D445 Battalion
attacked relentlessly. Our troops killed 500 Australians and destroyed 21 tanks [sic].”

***

In 1986, The Long Đất History19 did not specifically mention the Battle of Long Tân,
but included: “In 1967, the women of Long Mỹ and Hội Mỹ villages demonstrated against
the enemy - demanding to bury the remains of 36 soldiers of the 5th Division who had been
killed at Chùa ((Pagoda)) Thất.”20

***

In 1988, the late Dr Ian McNeill – the Australian official military historian, visited
Vietnam and interviewed Việt Cộng veterans who related to him their accounts of the Battle
of Long Tân. McNeill’s principal interlocutor and “most important witness” – Nguyễn Văn
Kiềm, implied (falsely) that he had commanded D445 Battalion at the Battle. In the Official
Australian Army History, McNeill wrote that the “politically oriented” Kiềm insisted the VC
force was “a total of some 700-800 men” and “was adamant that the prime force was D445

17
Hồ Sơn Đài & Trần Quang Toại, Đồng Nai Đơn Vị Anh Hùng (The Heroic Units of Đồng Nai), Nhà Xuất
Bản Đồng Nai (Đồng Nai Publishing Company), Đồng Nai, 1985.
18
Phan Ngọc Danh, Trần Quang Toại & Phạm Van Hy, Đồng Nai 30 Năm Chiến Tranh Giải Phóng (1945-
1975) - The 30-year Liberation Struggle in Đồng Nai (1945-1975), Nhà Xuất Bản Đồng Nai, Đồng Nai, 1986,
p.111.
19
Phan Ngọc Danh, & Trần Quang Toại, Lịch Sử Đấu Tranh Cách Mạng Của Huyện Long Đất - The History of
the Revolutionary Struggle in Long Đất District, Nhà Xuất Bản Đồng Nai (Đồng Nai Publishing House), Đồng
Nai, 1986.
20
Hồ Sơn Đài – Colonel (ed) & Phạm Quang Đinh - Colonel (publisher), The History of the 5th Infantry
Division (1965-2005), Lịch Sử Sư đòan Bộ Binh 5 (1965-2005), The People’s Army Publishing House, Hà Nội,
2005; refers to a “Thất pagoda” as the planned “main killing ground” of the 3 rd Battalion/275th Regiment at the
Battle of Long Tân on 18 August 1966. It is therefore possible that the “remains of 36 soldiers of the 5th
Division” - related above, might be the recovered remains of 275 Regiment casualties from the 1966 Battle of
Long Tân. Possible locations for the Thất Pagoda are YS 477659 or YS 480673 – for discussion, see footnote
82 in Annex O to Chamberlain, E.P., The Viet Cong D445 Battalion: Their Story, op.cit., 2016.
 10

Battalion with a strength of 600, reinforced by one company of North Vietnamese from
Headquarters Military Region 7 with a strength of 120 men. The total was 720 troops.”21

***

In 1990, in Kuranda Queensland, Dr Ian McNeill interviewed Nguyễn Thanh Hồng

who - as a HQ 5th VC Division operations staff officer, had been at the Battle.22 Hồng
recounted: “We tried to draw out the troops from the Task Force out of the base … test USAF
and allied artillery … our plan … to block in the east of the plantation and use the main force
to attack from the north-west. In the south, a small force to stop the Australian withdrawal …
laid mines in that area … I want to make this clear … our purpose was not to attack the
base, but would like to bring out your troops … we lacked ((indirect fire)) ammunition. …
one of our mistakes was some of our soldiers fired early.”

***

The first major published Vietnamese account on the Battle of Long Tân – and the
most detailed noted to date, appeared in the D445 Battalion History – 199123. That work
related: “At 10.15am on 18 August 1966, two Australian battalions and an armoured
vehicle squadron advanced in three columns (a main column and two subsidiary columns)
that moved in parallel into our battle zone. The main column advanced along the dirt road to
Long Tân with four tanks in the vanguard, followed by two infantry companies supported by
two armoured vehicles. The two subsidiary columns advanced as pincers – parallel with the
main column and at a distance of 300 metres from it. Each of the pincers comprised a
battalion with two tanks in support. All three enemy columns fell into our encircling ambush.
… In this large battle with the Australian forces, we wiped out an entire company and
inflicted heavy casualties on one of their battalions. … However, it was also a battle in which
we suffered heavy casualties. In 445 Battalion’s 2nd Company alone, there were 23 casualties
– of whom three died. The 5th Division lost 30 comrades killed and over 60 wounded.”

***

21
McNeill, I., To Long Tan, op.cit., 1993, p.367. That Official History notes: “Vietnamese statements and
writing consistently maintain that an ambush was planned in the Long Tan rubber plantation.” – p.370. The
official histories of the 5th Division (2005) and the Đồng Nai History (1986) – as well as the major Vietnamese
history of the War ie: Nguyễn Văn Minh Colonel (ed), Lịch sử Kháng chiến chống Mỹ cứu nước – The History
of the Anti-American Resistance War for National Salvation, Tập 4 (Vol 4), Nhà Xuất Bản Chính Trị Quốc Giả,
Hà Nội, 1999 – all correctly cite the 5th VC Main Force Regiment (ie the 275th Regiment) as the principal Việt
Cộng formation at the Battle of Long Tân.
22
Transcript of Interview of Nguyễn Thanh Hồng and Lê Thành Ba by Dr Ian McNeill (Lieutenant Colonel –
retired) – AWM official historian, at Kuranda (Queensland) on 7 September 1990. AWM257, E/1/4.
23
Đặng Tấn Hướng (ed) with chief compilers: Major General Nguyễn Thanh Tùng, Senior Colonel Đỗ Tiến
Đậm, and Senior Colonel Nguyễn Công Hạnh, The Heroic 445 Battalion: Its History and Tradition, Nhà Xuất
Bản Đồng Nai/Nhà máy in Nông Nghiệp và CNTP, Biên Hòa, 1991, pp.61-65. A translation/exegesis was
published as Chamberlain, E.P., The Viet Cong D445 Battalion: Their Story (and the Battle of Long Tan), 2011.
 11

In 1995, Military Region 7 published a history24 that briefly recounted:

“The 5th Division deployed to the Route 2 area in Bà Rịa - Long Khánh and Route 15 and
fought many battles with the Americans, and in particular – together with the Bà Rịa 445
Battalion, for the first time struck the Australian forces in the rubber plantation at Long Tân
(18 August 1966) and inflicted heavy casualties on an Australian company.”

***

The History of the People’s Revolutionary Party in Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Province 25 –
published in 2000, recounts the Battle of Long Tân in some detail: “On the night of 14
August 1966, the 4th Company of D445 Battalion shelled the Núi Đất base – destroying the
enemy’s war materiel and limiting their sweeping operations. Four days later on 18 August
1966, at about 3pm, their 6th Battalion deployed and swept Long Tân village from the main
offices of the Long Hiệp Rubber Plantation where they were ambushed by 445 Battalion.
The main body of the Australians advanced along Route 52 with their rear company moving
through the Núi Thơm ((Núi Đất 2)) jungle where they contacted D445’s 2nd Company. The
whole of D445 Battalion deployed into combat formation and wiped out the Australian’s
6RAR battalion – with only about one platoon surviving. The enemy had to withdraw to
Vũng Tàu by helicopter, refurbish, and then be replaced by the Australian’s 8RAR
battalion. After their heavy losses at the Battle of Long Tân, the Royal Australian Task
Force expanded its defences. In October 1966, increasing their strength, the Australians
deployed a battalion to Da Quy (Đất Đỏ) – ((ie The Horseshoe)).”

***

In 2003, The History of the Resistance War in the Eastern Nam Bộ Region 26 related:
“On 29 May 1966, the Royal Australian Regiment was deployed by the Americans to
construct its base at Núi Đất with the direct responsibility for search and destroy operations in
Bà Rịa. To implement the orders of the Military Region Headquarters and the Bà Rịa
Province Committee, the 5th Division joined with the Province’s D445 Battalion to plan a
battle against the newly-arrived Australian force. On 18 August 1966, an element of the 5th
Division together with the 445th Battalion ambushed and isolated Australian forces at Long
Tân. In the ensuing battle, our forces wiped out an Australian platoon. These were the first
group of Australian troops killed in their war of aggression in the South. The Battle echoed
widely, filling the people and our forces with enthusiasm and the spirit of resistance.”

***

24
Hồ Sơn Đài, 50 năm lực lượng vũ trang Quân khu 7 (1945 – 1995), MR 7 History “50 Years”: The Armed
Forces of Military Region 7 – 50 Years (1945 – 1995), Armed Forces Publishing House, Wattpad, 1995.
25
Trần Văn Khánh (et al), Ban Chấp Hành Đảng bộ tỉnh Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu, Lịch sử Đảng bộ tỉnh Bà Rịa -
Vũng Tàu, Tập II, 1954-1975, Nhà xuất bản Chính trị quốc gia (National Political Publishing House), Hà Nội,
2000. The involvement of the 275th VC Main Force Regiment is not mentioned in this account.
26
Lịch sử đảng bộ miền Đông Nam Bộ lãnh đạo kháng chiến chống thực dân Pháp và đế quốc Mỹ, 1945-1975.
Nhà Xuất bản Chính trị Quốc gia, Hà Nội, 2003, p.238.
 12

The account of the Battle of Long Tân in the 2004 Việt Cộng D445 Battalion
History27 was less detailed than the earlier 1991 D445 publication – but included the first
noted Vietnamese sketch map of the Battle – see below.

“Map: The Mobile Ambush at Long Tân (Châu Đức – Bà Rịa) by the
5 Infantry Regiment and a Company of the 445th Infantry Battalion (18 August 1966)”
th

NOTE: The Vietnamese military use “Warsaw Pact-style” map-marking symbols

(with some variations) – ie not the “Western” NATO STANAG 2019 AAP-6A map-marking
symbols. Red symbols indicate VC elements, and blue represents 1 ATF elements. “Ta” is
“Us”, and “Địch” is “Enemy”. The number “5” within a rectangular flag represents the 5th
VC Regiment – ie the 275th VC Main Force Regiment - with its battalions (1, 2, and 3) shown
as triangular flags. The symbols of an arrow with two “cross-bars” represent a company
assault. The “diamond” symbol represents a medium tank. The text in the 1991 D445

27
Phạm Quang Định with Lê Chính & Lưu Thành Luân (biên xoạn - compilers) and Major General Nguyễn
Minh Ninh, Lịch Sử Tiểu Đoàn 445 Anh Hùng 1965-2004 (The History of the Heroic D445 Battalion 1965-
2004), Nhà Xuất Bản Quân Đội Nhân Dân (The People’s Armed Forces Publishing House), Hà Nội, 2004,
pp.90-94. The publication was for “internal distribution”- ie classified as “lưu hành nội bộ”. The work quotes
passages from the writing of British academic and author Dr J.L. Pimlott. For a translation/exegesis, see:
Chamberlain, E.P., The Viet Cong D445 Battalion: Their Story (and the Battle of Long Tan), 2016 – 342,800
words, and free-to-read on the Internet (with 18 original annexes). That work’s contents list is at Annex B.
 13

History literally referred to Australian “xe tăng” at the Battle. However, Australian tanks – ie
51-tonne Centurion tanks, did not arrive in Vietnam until February 1968 (by August 1968,
the Squadron was at full strength with 28 tanks). The Australian armoured vehicles at the
Battle were M113A1 armoured personnel carriers. The Long Tân rubber plantation – ie the
Long Hiệp/Bà Điếc plantation in the “Đất Gai area”, comprised five-year old trees. No mortar
base-plate positions are indicated on the map, and no Vietnamese communist account
mentions VC mortar fire during the Battle itself – although D/6RAR reportedly received
heavy mortar fire (60mm and 82mm) during the Battle beginning at 1626hrs from YS
483665. Outside the plantation area, the terrain varied between open paddy fields and thick
scrubby timber with dense bamboo thickets in places. To the north-east of the 1 ATF base,
part of the Route 2/Hòa Long village bypass road is shown on the sketch map. However, that
bypass was constructed later – ie in the period from late January to late April 1967. In the
lower right corner of the map, The Horseshoe feature – “Núi Da Qui”, is shown as being
occupied by Australian forces – but The Horseshoe was not occupied by Australian forces
until 6 March 1967. The Battle of Long Tân took place just outside the south-eastern
boundary of the Việt Cộng’s Châu Đức District – ie within the neighbouring Việt Cộng Long
Đất District.

The description of the Battle in that 2004 D445 History includes:

“On the night of 17 August 1966, all our combat forces for the battle paid close attention to
preparing the ambush site, digging positions and getting ready for combat. The Australians
fell for our plan “to lure the tiger from the mountain”28 – and early the next morning, they
mounted a sweeping operation. … At 1500hrs on 18 August 1966, an Australian battalion –
with a squadron of armoured vehicles in support, split into three columns and advanced
into Long Tân where they fell into the ambush position that had been prepared by our troops.
Our forward elements in the ambush fought bravely, effectively coordinating with one-
another. They destroyed much of the enemy’s combat power, setting fire to many armoured
vehicles, and were able to drive the enemy into our decisive killing zone. … However, due to
heavy rain and the enemy’s superior firepower and heavy artillery shelling, the enemy was
able to block the momentum of our attack and inflicted many casualties and losses on us. The
battle concluded at 1800hrs on that same day. Our total number of dead and wounded in the
battle was more than 100 comrades (445 Battalion and the 5th Regiment). In particular, the
2nd Company of 445 Battalion suffered 23 wounded and three killed. Comrade Trần Văn
Chiến (Sáu Chiến) – the 1st Company commander, was wounded in the battle. … In this first
large battle with the Australian forces, 445 Battalion had inflicted heavy casualties on the
Royal Australian 6th Battalion. Their survivors were helicoptered back to their rear base at
Vũng Tàu – after which they were taken back to Australia, and the Royal Australian 8th
Battalion replaced them. … The Australian forces suffered a big defeat at Long Tân.”

28
The tactic is described in several Chinese and Vietnamese military documents ie: “luring the tiger from the
mountain” – a Chinese and Vietnamese saying (Vietnamese: Dẫn hổ/cọp khỏi núi; Sino-Vietnamese: Điệu hổ ly
sơn; Chinese: 調 虎 離 山). Post-War, several Vietnamese veterans – including Nguyễn Văn Kiềm and Nguyễn
Thanh Hồng, have explained this as the tactic for the battle at Long Tân - ie rather than any attack against 1
ATF’s Núi Đất base.
 14

***

In 2005, the 5th Infantry Division History 29 was published, relating:

“After several days of observing Australian attacks and sweeping operations around Long
Đất and Đất Đỏ, on 10 August 1966, the Combined Battle Headquarters – comprising Trần
Minh Tâm and Comrade Đặng Hữu Thuấn (Commander of the Bà Rịa Unit), met to
determine the fighting tactics to destroy an Australian battalion in the Long Tân region. To
achieve the battle plan, we used the 5th ((275th)) Regiment30 and the 445th Bà Rịa Battalion to
conduct an ambush on a stretch of Route 52 in the rubber area of Long Tân over a length of
two kilometres. The 2nd Battalion of the 5th Regiment and a company of the 445th Battalion -
reinforced with B40s and a 57mm RCL, were positioned in the south and the north-west of
the T-junction of the Bò Road and Route 52 with the task of blocking the forward elements of
the enemy’s formation. The 3rd Battalion was deployed about 800 metres to the north-west of
Route 52 with the task of attacking into the main killing zone at the Thất Pagoda. The 1st
Battalion was reinforced with two companies from the 445th Battalion and deployed about
800 metres to the north of Route 52 with a rear blocking task and the role of coordinating
with the 3rd Battalion to destroy the enemy in the decisive area of the battle. … On 15
August, all preparatory tasks to conduct the battle had been completed.
On 18 August, from 6am to 3pm, our undetected observation element noted signs that
the enemy was organizing a sweeping operation. The battlefield commander - Trần Minh
Tâm, concluded that the enemy did not have the capability to launch a sweeping operation on
18 August - so he directed the observation element to temporarily withdraw to the 2nd
Battalion position, and ordered the forward attack elements to continue to maintain their
formations. However, at 3.30pm, the 2nd Battalion’s reconnaissance cell reported that an
enemy company had secretly advanced to within 650 metres of the Battalion’s battlefield.
About 1.5 kilometres to the rear, there was a force of about two ((Australian)) companies
with four tanks/armoured vehicles that were advancing along Route 52 towards the

29
Hồ Sơn Đài – Colonel (ed), Lịch Sử Sư đòan Bộ Binh 5 (1965-2005) – The History of the 5th Infantry
Division (1965-2005), The People’s Army Publishing House, Hà Nội, 2005. The publication was for “internal
distribution”- ie classified as “lưu hành nội bộ”. The first edition was published in 1995.
30
As noted earlier, the 5th Regiment was also known as the 275th Regiment. The Regiment’s other principal
cover designators were: Q.765, Q.5, Đoàn (Group) 45, and Đoàn 54. The 1991 edition of the D445 Battalion
History incorrectly reports the “4th Regiment” - ie the 274th Regiment, as being involved in the Battle at Long
Tân (ie instead of the 5th (275th) Regiment. Regarding the 274th Regiment, the 2ic of the 274th Regiment –
Nguyễn Nam Hưng, noted in his diary on 28 September 1966: “the 5 th Regiment attacked Núi Đất”, “600
Australians” were killed and “1 Australian battalion exterminated” – CDEC Log 11-1259-66. Hưng also related
that “for most of August and September, the ((274 th)) Regiment was transporting rice.” For a three-page
commentary on Nguyễn Nam Hưng’s diary, see also 1 ATF, Troop Information Sheet No.31, Núi Đất, 13-19
February 1967. Hưng’s statement and the 5th VC Division History conflict with the claims – including by
Nguyễn Văn Kiềm (Commander D445, 1968-1969), that the 274th Regiment was tasked in mid-August 1966 to
interdict any US forces that might move south on Route 2 from Long Khánh Province to relieve Australian
forces during the Long Tân battle – see Kiềm’s statement in Horsefield, B. (Director/Producer), Long Tan – The
True Story, op.cit., DVD, 1993. As noted, for a discussion of the 274th Regiment’s “non-involvement” in the
Battle of Long Tân, see Annex N to Chamberlain, E.P., The Viet Cong D445 Battalion, op.cit., 2016. For a
discrete summary history of the 275th VC Main Force Regiment, see Annex O in Chamberlain, E.P., The Viet
Cong D445 Battalion: Their Story, 2016.
 15

battlefield. … The leading assault elements of the 2nd Battalion engaged in close combat with
the Australian troops. We used light machine guns and B40 anti-armour weapons – and the
Australians withdrew in panic into the edge of the rubber, stepping on the mines that we had
planted and abandoning the bodies of almost ten Australians. After 30 minutes of combat, the
2nd Battalion had inflicted heavy casualties on an enemy platoon. At 4pm, the 3rd Battalion
and an element of the 1st Battalion attacked the enemy in the decisive area ((killing zone)) of
the battlefield. The Australian troops regrouped and resisted - while calling intense artillery
fire onto our vanguard elements and the blocking elements of the 1st Battalion and the 445th
Battalion. At the same time, the firepower of the enemy’s armoured vehicles was decisively
targeted against the 3rd Battalion elements. …
At 4.30pm, the situation of our leading elements was difficult due to the enemy’s
artillery and firepower that had blocked us, and we were unable to achieve an encirclement of
the enemy battalion. The 1st Battalion and the 3rd Battalion suffered high casualties. At 5pm,
the battlefield headquarters ordered our units to withdraw to the regrouping position.
This first battle was organised as a mobile ambush to destroy the Australian force – a
new combat objective on the battlefield. We had committed an error in our observation of
the enemy and in arranging our formations to start to attack from a far distance – because
of this, we were unable to surround and destroy the enemy battalion. Our forces suffered a
large number of casualties – 32 were killed and 60 comrades were wounded. … However,
the battle against the Australians at Long Tân had a very important significance: it was the
first time that we had destroyed an Australian company on the battlefield – a force that had
been regarded as the most highly effective of all the specialists in counter-guerrilla warfare
and which the enemy often lauded as such. The battle had been conducted very close to the
combat headquarters of the Royal Australian Regiment [sic] and greatly surprised the enemy
forces. The battle contributed towards the crushing of the enemy’s intentions to sweep and
pacify the region - and strengthened the revolutionary movement in Bà Rịa - Long Khánh to
continue its development. The ambush battle against the Australian force at Long Tân
concluded the wet season phase of activities for 1966 by the Division.”

***

In 2006, retired Vietnamese Major General Nguyễn Minh Ninh – in some accounts
cited as the D445 political officer at the Battle, stated: “I do not remember the casualties on
our side, we never sat down and took stock of the final figure.”31

***

In August 2006 – in an email sent to several senior Australian veterans of the Battle,
an Australian civilian – claiming (falsely) to have been a senior Australian Army officer,
related having met a “Chinese General” in Shanghai in March 2006 who purportedly gave
him an account of the Long Tân battle – including NVA/VC casualty numbers. According to

31
Greenland, H., “The Battle Through the Eyes of the Viet Cong – The Other Side”, The Bulletin, Vol. 124 -
Issue 6533, Sydney, 15 August 2006.
 16

this alleged account, the NVA/VC force reportedly suffered “1,632 KIA with approximately
70% of these casualties being caused by artillery.”32

***

In 2008, the The History of the Bà Rịa - Long Khánh Medical Services 33 recounted:
“On 18 August 1966, our forces deployed an ambush position in the Vườn Xoài
((Mango Gardens)) area (Long Tân village). The Battle took place as we had planned, with
the advancing Australians falling into our forces’ ambush. Our ambushing elements
coordinated harmoniously and destroyed a large amount of the enemy’s war materiel. But
subsequently, due to the enemy’s firepower superiority and their directed artillery fire, the
Australian forces were able to block our assaults and inflicted many casualties on our troops.
The 2nd Company of D445 alone had 23 of its comrades wounded, three killed – including the
commander of the 1st Company, Trần Văn Chiến (Sáu Chiến). COSVN main force troops (5th
Division) suffered 200 casualties ((ie 275th VC Regiment)). A civil labour company actively
helped our troops evacuate the wounded back to bases. 30 seriously wounded soldiers were
transported to the Bàu Sen base ((vicinity YS 5288)), while the majority of lightly wounded
were carried to the Province military medical facility. The 76A Hospital received over 200
wounded. At that time, the Province medical services only had less than 30 cadre, and they
strove to organise the rear support, defences, and carried the wounded to the rear for a
continuous period of five days. At the time, medicines and food were very scarce as the
enemy had restricted the support activities of the people of Long Phước and Long Tân – the
important rear service infrastructure of the D445 Battalion.

***
In late November 2011, a Hà Nội-based Vietnamese “Missing-in-Action” NGO
announced: “… Recently, by joining together information from a variety of sources, we have
found the burial places, the full names and origins of the 179 martyrs of the 2nd Battalion and
3rd Battalion of the 5th Regiment ((ie 275th Regiment)) of the 5th Division; and 440 and 445
Local Force Battalions who died on 18 August 1966 in Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu Province.”34

32
In his autobiography, Lieutenant Colonel H. A. Smith SG, MC (Retd) noted that: “Chinese Army records,
shown by a Chinese General to former Australian Army officer Geoff [sic] Jones working in Beijing on Army
Landing Craft electronics in 2006, gave the eventual final figure to be 1500 who eventually died or were
disabled from wounds. Smith, H.A. (with McRae T.), Long Tan – the start of a lifelong battle, Big Sky
Publishing, 2015 p.178; 2016, p.184. For a discussion of such purported Chinese-sourced claims, see
Chamberlain, E.P., The Viet Cong D445 Battalion, op.cit., 2016, Annex F, p.F-10.
33
Lê Thanh Dũng (et al), Lịch Sử Ngành Y Tế Bà Rịa - Long Khánh (1945-2006) - The History of the Bà Rịa
Long Khánh Medical Services (1945-2006), Vũng Tàu, 2008.
34
MARIN NGO – announcement by Ms Ngô Thị Thúy Hằng, Hà Nội, 20 November 2011 – also reported by
Kim Dung, “Tấm gương bình dị mà cao quý”, Quân Đội Nhân Dân (People’s Armed Forces), Hà Nội, 19
November 2011. Subsequently, the figure of 179 was reported in the Vietnamese media – together with a
statement that 397 VC had been killed in the Battle and that D440 Battalion had also been involved. Phùng
Nguyên: “Cựu binh Úc và 38 ký họa bộ đội Việt Nam”, Tiền Phong On-line, 25 September 2012. The
information on “397” (an informal and questionable estimate) and “D440” (incorrect) had been provided to
MARIN staff in Hà Nội by a visiting Australian Vietnam War veteran. See Chamberlain, E.P., The Viet Cong
D445 Battalion, op.cit., 2016 – Annex O, pp. O-23 to O-24.
 17

List Provided by a Vietnamese NGO (page 1 of 10)

The List appeared to have been compiled from official death certificates (giấy báo tử). All the
deceased listed were members of the 275th Regiment – with no mention of either D445 or
D440 Battalions.
***

From August 2008 to December 2017, a group of Vietnamese historians exchanged

views on the Battle of Long Tân on a Vietnamese Armed Forces website: Dựng nước - Giữ
nước (Build the Nation, Maintain the Nation).35 The postings were quite accurate and
knowledgeable – with one contributor citing the usefulness for research of 1 ATF
documents in the Australian War Memorial’s “AWM95 series” archives (ie: commanders’
diaries, operational after-action reports, and “radio logs”). However, many of the postings
have been sceptical of some Australian accounts of the Battle of Long Tân – particularly
Australian documents and articles citing high NVA/VC casualty figures at the Battle.

***

35
http://www.vnmilitaryhistory.net/index.php/topic,2976.10.html
 18

The Bà Rịa - Long Khánh Province Party Committee – Mây Tào Mountains, 1969

In a Vũng Tàu City “Security and Defence” article in February 2013 titled: The
History of the Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Military Headquarters 36 the Battle of Long Tân was not
specifically mentioned. However, the article related:
“Immediately after its formation, 445 Battalion – although a local unit with a small
establishment and few significant weapons, became the core force together with other
elements that fought unceasingly against the largest and most formidable American
expeditionary forces. In particular, D445 fought against the war-mongering militarist Royal
Australian Forces. Regardless, D445 – together with smaller Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu units not
only unceasingly defeated the Australians’ latest counter-guerilla tactics but – together with
the people and armed forces of the South, launched the General Offensive and Uprising of
Tet Mậu Thân 1968 - that attacked directly into the enemy’s lairs.”

***

In 2013, an article on the 5th Division Veterans’ Association website related that at
Long Tân: “The 3rd Royal Australian Battalion came out to break our blockade just as we
had intended. … The 5th Regiment and the 445th Battalion inflicted heavy losses on the
Australian battalion. … to assuage their feelings of pain, the 18th of August has become one
of two memorial days for Australian war veterans.”37

***

36
Truyền thống Bộ Chỉ huy Quân sự Tỉnh Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu, 2013.
37
Nguyễn Hồng Phúc – Major General, “Truyền thống chiến đấu của Sư đoàn BB5 Anh hung” (“The Combat
History of the Heroic 5th Infantry Division”), 12 May 2013.
 19

In a 2014 on-line article: “The Ambush Battle at Long Tân” 38, former 5th VC
Division cadres related: “To implement the Division’s directive, the 5th ((275th)) Regiment
organised an attack on the Australian military at Núi Đất. In August 1966, a group of cadre
from the Division and the 5th Regiment – led by Comrade Trần Minh Tâm, the Division’s
second-in-command, went to Long Tân to examine the terrain and to gain knowledge of the
routine and activities of the Australian military – and to discuss a coordinated tactical plan
with the local armed forces. After many days of monitoring the activities of the Australian
forces, on 10 August 1966 the battle headquarters – comprising Comrades Trần Minh Tâm
and Đặng Hữu Thuấn, (the Bà Rịa Province commander), met and agreed on a combat plan
for a mobile ambush battle to wipe out an Australian battalion in the region of the Long Tân
rubber plantation. … Employing the tactic of “luring the tiger from the mountain”, over the
two days of 16 and 17 August, our regional forces and the Division’s reconnaissance team
employed mortars to shell the enemy base at Núi Đất, emplaced mines on Route 52 to block
movement, and to force the Australian forces to conduct a sweeping operation to clear the
Long Tân area – and for us to wipe them out. … Our troops calmly waited until the enemy
was very close – 10 metres from our positions, and then opened fire killing eight of the
enemy on-the-spot. The Australian force used the firepower from two armoured vehicles to
fiercely return fire into the assaulting ranks of the 2nd Battalion. … The assaulting arrow-
heads of the 2nd Battalion engaged the Australians in close combat. Our elements and those of
the enemy were intermixed, and our troops used sub-machineguns, B40s and grenades in the
close struggle with the enemy. The Australian troops fled in panic to the edge of the rubber
plantation, stumbling into the minefields that we had prepared in readiness – and tens of the
enemy were killed, and many were wounded. After 30 minutes, the 2nd Battalion had inflicted
heavy casualties on an enemy platoon.
At the positions of the 3rd Battalion and the 1st Battalion, our troops had moved
forward in a coordinated manner towards the sounds of the gunfire, but at that time the
heavens opened up with very heavy rain, and our attacking columns had difficulties in
deploying. The enemy also had difficulties in observing our movement as we advanced close
to them. At this time, the enemy called in decisive artillery from their support base –
including artillery from the Núi Đất base and naval gunfire from the sea. Thousands of
rounds fell on our battlefield. However, we had prepared carefully. When deploying to
prepare the battlefield, every soldier had carried a shovel and – on their shoulders, each was
bearing a bundle of about 10 branches – with every branch as thick as a wrist and about one
metre long, to be used as anti-shrapnel covers for their individual pits and for our defensive
works, and so this limited our casualties ….
This was the first time that we had organised a mobile ambush to wipe out Australian
troops, and it had an important significance: it was the first time on the battlefield that we had
inflicted heavy casualties on a battalion of the Royal Australian Forces – including wiping
out a battalion of Australian soldiers, setting fire to two armoured vehicles, and killing
and wounding hundreds of Australian troops. Comrade Lê Tấn Tao used his AK rifle and

38
Nguyễn Văn Bạch, “Trận Phục Kích Long Tân” (“The Ambush Battle at Long Tân”), Cựu Chiến Binh (War
Veterans) – Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh – On-line, Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh (Hồ Chí Minh City), 18 December
2014 (also published as “Cuộc đụng đầu với lữ đoàn 1 quân đội hoàng gia Úc” – “The Clash with the 1st Royal
Australian Brigade”, 3 April 2015).
 20

a B40 to kill 36 enemy on-the-spot and seized many weapons. The battle contributed to the
shattering of the enemy’s plans for sweeping operations and pacification activities, and
accelerated the revolutionary movement in Bà Rịa – Long Khánh that continued to develop
further.”

***

In 2015, the History of the 275th VC Regiment – ie as the “5th Infantry Regiment”
was published.39 That work recounted:
“On the afternoon of 17 August, our units occupied and prepared ambush positions
along Provincial Route 52 in the area of the Long Tân rubber plantation. Our combat
formation was deployed over a main front of two kilometres – with our assigned blocking
force of the 1st Company of the 3rd Battalion reinforced with a 75mm recoilless rifle and two
B-40 rocket propelled grenades. The force for the killing zone comprised the 1st Battalion, the
2nd Battalion - and a company of 445 Battalion stationed opposite. The units were deployed
from 400 to 500 metres from the side of the road. The rear blocking group was comprised of
two companies of the 3rd Battalion deployed 500 metres from the road. The reserve force was
a company of 445 Battalion and one company of the 1st Battalion sited 200 metres behind the
killing zone force. The Regiment’s reserve was the 1st Company of the 1st Battalion. At
2300hrs [sic] on 17 August, as our units had completed occupying the battlefield, the
Regiment’s recoilless rifles and mortars attacked the enemy’s base at Núi Đất. At the same
time, the Châu Đức District regional company40 attacked the office of the quisling village
council in Long Tân.
From the morning until 3pm on 18 August, there was no reaction at all from the
enemy at Núi Đất. Consequently, our battlefield leadership assessed that the enemy would
not launch a sweeping operation, and ordered our observation posts to withdraw back to
the 3rd Battalion Headquarters position – with our elements remaining in their combat
positions. At 3.30pm, the 6th Company of the 2nd Battalion discovered that an enemy
company had secretly followed the edge of the road into the 2nd Battalion’s area of the
battlefield and was 600 metres from our blocking force. One kilometre behind the enemy
infantry force, their armoured vehicles were also advancing towards our positions. The
battlefield command group ordered our elements to be ready to open fire and block the
enemy and to get close to the road. The 6th Company moved its positions in order to attack
the enemy close to the ditches in the rubber plantation and waited until the advancing
Australian force was only 10 metres from battle area before opening fire. Eight enemy troops

39
The 275th Regiment’s 220-page History was published in May 2015 – ie: Hồ Sơn Đài – Senior Colonel (ed),
Lịch Sử Trung Đoàn Bộ Binh 5 (1965-2015) - The History of the 5th ((275th)) Infantry Regiment, Nhà Xuất Bản
Quân Đội Nhân Dân (The People’s Armed Forces Publishing House), Hà Nội, 2015. Classified as “internal
distribution” (“lưu hành nội bộ”), a Vietnamese-language copy was provided to the author (Chamberlain) by
Blair Tidey in late September 2015. Other principal sources on the 275 th Regiment are the 5th Infantry Division
History (1995 and 2005) and the debrief of NVA Captain Trần Văn Tiếng – aged 36, the Assistant Political
Officer of the 3rd Battalion of the 275th Regiment who was captured on 26 February 1969 by ARVN forces in
Biên Hòa Province (see footnote 14) – CMIC No.2550, VCAT Item 2310305007.
40
Translator’s (Chamberlain) Note: The involvement of Châu Đức District elements is not mentioned in: the
D445 History (1991), the D445 History (2004), the 5 th Division History (2005), nor the Châu Đức District
History (2004). There was no village council office in Long Tân in August 1966.
 21

were killed on-the-spot, and the Australians spread out and resisted fiercely. Two of the
enemy’s armoured vehicles fired a torrent of bullets into the 2nd Battalion’s positions and
inflicted casualties. … After 30 minutes of fighting, we had inflicted heavy losses on an
enemy company and set fire to two armoured vehicles. At his time, a large storm broke – and
enemy helicopters41 and artillery struck continuously at the positions of our 3rd Battalion and
445 Battalion. Our deploying columns faced difficulties, and 445 Battalion and the 3rd
Battalion suffered a large number of casualties. At 5pm, the battlefield headquarters ordered
the units to evacuate their wounded to the rear and to prepare to withdraw to our
concentration area positions. After more than an hour of unyielding combat, our units had
wiped out an enemy company and set fire to two armoured vehicles. On our side, we
suffered 32 cadre and soldiers killed, and 30 comrades wounded. …
This was the first time that we had conducted an ambush operation against the
Australian forces – our top-notch ((ie: sừng sỏ)) opponent on the Eastern Nam Bộ battlefield.
Our cadre and soldiers displayed a tremendous effort in overcoming the bombs and fierce
artillery fire to attack and wipe out the enemy. The Regiment eliminated an Australian
company – ie of a force that was recognised as the premier specialists in counter-guerilla
warfare, and regularly lauded as such. The Regiment gained considerable experience from
fighting against the Australian forces at the battle at Long Tân. It was an engagement in
which the enemy did not follow rules mechanically like the American military.

***

The 2015 History of the 4th (ie 274th) Regiment 42 does not specifically mention the
Battle of Long Tân. Rather, that publication records: “The 5th ((275th Regiment)) moved from
the west of Long Khánh Town and was based east of Route 2 with responsibility for the
defence of the ((5th)) Division Headquarters. At the same time, the 5th Regiment prepared to
coordinate with the Bà Rịa local armed forces to attack the Australian forces who had
established their base at Núi Đất.”

***

On 18 August 2016, in an interview in Vũng Tàu with the ABC’s Liam Cochrane,
Colonel (Retd) Phan Thanh Bình (aged 72 - purportedly “one of the key commanders of
Vietnamese forces battling Australians on that day 50 years ago in the rubber plantation in
Long Tân”) related: "At one time, the two sides were fighting almost hand-to-hand. We
found two Australian soldiers - but at that stage the Australian onslaught was really

41
Translator’s (Chamberlain) Note: Neither Australian (RAAF) - nor US helicopters, provided fire support
during the Long Tân engagement. However, during the fighting, two RAAF UH-1B helicopters (A2-1020; A2-
1022) delivered ammunition to Delta Company/6RAR on the battlefield. These UH-1B aircraft were not
gunships, but had door gunners manning M-60 GPMGs. – see: McNeill, I., To Long Tan, op.cit., 1993.
42
Hồ Sơn Đài - Colonel (& Trần Quang Toại – Chapter 1), Lịch Sử Trung Đoàn Bộ Binh 4 (1965-2015) - The
History of the 4th ((274th)) Infantry Regiment, Nhà Xuất Bản Quân Đội Nhân Dân (The People’s Armed Forces
Publishing House), Hà Nội, 2015, p.78. The work is classified as: “for internal distribution” (“lưu hành nội
bộ”).
 22

powerful. It was so violent. We thought if we keep the two Australians, they might not
survive. So we left them at the place where the Cross is now."43

***

In September 2017, the Chiến Tranh ((War)) website 44 included an article on the
Battle of Long Tân – including several photographs and a sketch map of the Battle (copied
from the Wikipedia website). Some of the website’s articles on battles appear to be “precis”
translations – in Vietnamese, of parts of the English-language texts of Wikipedia items. A full
translation of the Chiến Tranh item on the Battle of Long Tân is attached as Annex A.

(E.P. Chamberlain)

Annexes:

A. The Battle of Long Tân – 1966 : Chiến Tranh Website – 28 September 2017.

B. List of Annexes to: Chamberlain, E.P., The Viet Cong D445 Battalion: Their Story
– and the Battle of Long Tan; published in 2016.

43
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-18/long-tan:-former-commander-reflects-on-war/7761128 . Phan Thanh
Bình is probably referring to D/6RAR Privates Jim Richmond, Private Barry (“Custard’) Meller. Bình (aka Bẩy
Bình) was the deputy political officer of D445 in late 1974 - see p.169, p.218, Annex A f.97, Annex B f.3 in
Chamberlain, E.P., The Viet Cong D445 Battalion, op.cit., 2016. His account is considered highly unlikely.
Privates Richmond and Meller did not recall such an event – and the weapons and equipment of 11/D/6RAR
were not disturbed. See Chamberlain email to Dr R. Hall, ADFA/UNSW, 22 August 2016.
44
The Chiến Tranh website has a seeming “reconciliatory” attitude towards the former Saigon government, the
Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces (RVNAF), and the Free World Forces Armed Forces (FWMAF). The
website states that it was “established with the aim of exchanging views with those interested in the history of
the Vietnam War - and not for any political purpose or aim.” The website’s articles do not use derogative
pronouns (eg “chúng”, “nó”, “tụi”, “mấy”, “tên”, “bọn”, “thằng”), the pejorative terms: “nguy” (“puppets”), “bè
lũ” (“a gang”), “giặc” (“bandits”) nor – for Australians, epithets such as “chư hầu” (ie “vassals” or “satellite
troops” of the US), “tay sai” (“lackeys”) “quân đánh thuế” (“mercenaries”) etc. Among its short articles on
battles during the “American Resistance War”, the website includes: the battles of Long Tân, Suối Châu Pha,
Coral, Bình Ba, Hắc Dịch - involving 1ATF forces - and Bình Giã. Several 1RAR (first tour) engagements are
also included (eg: Operations Crimp, Gang Toi, and Suối Bông Trang) – as well as actions involving AATTV
(eg: Khâm Đức, Ngok Tavak).
 23

Annex A to
Research Note 1/2019

The Battle of Long Tân – 1966

(Chiến Tranh Website – 28 September 2017) 45

The Battle of Long Tân was the most violent engagement between the Vietnam Liberation
Forces and Royal Australian soldiers – occurring in the small town [sic] of Long Tân in the
former Phước Tuy Province, now Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu.

The Royal Australian troops were from the 1st Australian Task Force - comprising the 5th and
6th Battalions that had arrived in Phước Tuy in April 1966 and established their base at Núi
Đất. The Núi Đất. area was close to the supply lines and the weapons and food transportation
routes of the Vietnam Liberation Forces – and the operational areas of the 274th and 275th
Regiments of the Liberation Forces’ 5th Division that were strengthened by a number of
battalions that had entered from the North and the local 445 Battalion. The 274 th Regiment’s
base area was in the Hắc Dịch and the 275th Regiment’s base area was in the Mây Tào
Mountains. Additionally, the Australian forces were supported by the Republic of Vietnam
Armed Forces that totalled about 4,500 personnel.

45
Lý Gia Khang, Chiến Tranh (The War) Website, 28 September 2017.
http://chientranhvietnam.com/2017/09/27/tran-long-tan-battle-long-tan-nam-1966/
 24

Map of the Battle of Long Tân during the Vietnam War – 1966 46

The Battle of Long Tân began at 0243hrs on the morning of 16 August 196647 when the
Liberation Armed Forces shelled the Núi Đất base with artillery and mortars. The Australians
responded with counter-battery fire, and aircraft dropped bombs in support. In the morning
of the following day, Delta Company deployed, searched the area, and found the firing-site of
the artillery and mortars. On 18 August, the companies of the 5th and 6th Battalion continued to
search slowly in the direction of the Suối Đá Bàng, and the soldiers of Delta Company of the
6th Battalion - led by Major Harry Smith, engaged Liberation Army troops – elements of the
275th Regiment and D445 Local Force Battalion, in the Long Tân rubber plantation. The

46
Translator’s (Chamberlain) Note: This sketch map was sourced by the Chiến Tranh website from Wikipedia -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Long_Tan .
47
Translator’s (Chamberlain) Note: The shelling of the Núi Đất base by VC forces (ie: 67 82mm mortar rounds,
23 75mm RCL shells, and five 70mm Japanese howitzer shells) occurred during the early hours of 17 August –
ie not 16 August. For detail, see: Chamberlain, E.P., Research Note 6/2016: Vietnam War: Incoming! – The
Shelling of the Núi Đất Base - 17 August 1966, 29 June 2016.
 25

Australian forces called for artillery support. After many hours of combat, Delta Company
began to run out of ammunition, and its 11th Platoon on the right became isolated and one-third
of that Platoon’s troops had been killed or wounded. At 1700hrs, three F-4 aircraft then arrived
to drop bombs. Smith called for the F4 aircraft to drop their bombs to the east of the surrounded
12 Platoon in order to break the encirclement. However, because of rain clouds and the bad
weather, the pilots were unable to identify the coloured smoke thrown by 12 Platoon to indicate
its position. The unit used its PRC-25 radios – a very new piece of equipment, that enabled
communications for their effective fire support. At the same time, two UH-1B Iroquois
helicopters arrived to provide fire support48 and to drop supplies. The Australians sent
Alpha Company mounted in 13 M113 APCs to break through and reinforce Delta Company.
Approaching darkness, the Australian troops established a helicopter landing zone and
organised a defence within the ring of APCs. Artillery fire support continued. US aircraft
continued to drop bombs on the Liberation Force’s supply lines to the east. Helicopters began
to organise the evacuation of the Australian casualties.

On 19 August, the Australian forces began a counter-attack with the 6th Battalion advancing
from Núi Đất - while their forces still at Long Tân began a sweep with the M113s. The weather
was good, so the aircraft were able to accurately attack suspected positions. There were
continuous clashes. The Australian troops discovered extensive bunkers and trenches capable
of holding a whole battalion, and a large quantity of weapons were discovered comprising
rifles, mortars, machine-guns, grenades …

In the following days, the Australian troops continued to sweep the surrounding region, and
the Battle of Long Tân concluded on 21 August with 18 Australian soldiers killed and 24
wounded – this was also the most violent battle fought by the Australian forces in Vietnam.

48
Translator’s (Chamberlain) Note: The two UH-1B RAAF helicopters did not provide fire support – but
delivered ammunition to D/6RAR while hovering above the battlefield. See also the preceding footnote
41. Note ((FLT LT – UH-1B co-pilot)) Bruce Lane’s remarks that: “no enemy had been seen; and later found
that no one had seen the VC, or knew of any fire being directed at them.” in McAulay, L., The Battle of Long
Tan, Arrow Books, London, 1987, p.86. For detail on the Battle – see Chamberlain, E.P., The Viet Cong D445
Battalion: Their Story – and the Battle of Long Tan; published in 2016 – 348,200 words, and free-to-read
on the Internet (with 18 annexes including on SIGINT aspects at Annex E, and casualties at Annex F).
 26

The Cross erected as a memorial to their comrades of Delta Company/6th Battalion who died
in the Battle of Long Tân during the Vietnam War.

In summary, for the Battle of Long Tân, the Australian forces declared that the 275th
Liberation Forces Regiment had suffered heavy casualties and was unable to conduct
operations for many months. The D445 Local Force Battalion only had 300 troops. A large
number of Liberation Force weapons were seized – comprising 33 AK-47s; seven RPD
machine-guns; five SKS machine-guns [sic]; four RPG grenade launches; two 57mm
recoilless rifles; 10,500 rounds of ammunition of various calibres; 300 grenades; and 28
rocket rounds …

After the Battle of Long Tân, the Australian soldiers constructed the Long Tân Cross – a cross
that is called the Memorial Long Tân Cross. A bronze plaque brought from Australia was
attached to the Cross to memorialize their Delta Company/6th Battalion comrades who were
killed. The bronze plaque reads: “In memory of the soldiers of Delta Company, 6th Battalion,
1st Regiment [sic] of the Royal Australian Task Force who lost their lives at this site during the
Battle of Long Tân on 18 August 1966.” After Liberation, in 1988 Đồng Nai ((Province))
authorities recovered the Cross for conservation and display in the Đồng Nai Museum ((Biên
Hòa)). In 2002, the Australian Returned Services League visited Vietnam and re-established a
Cross ((at the site of the Long Tân battle)).
 27

Translator’s Note: Since the above article was written, the Government of Vietnam gifted the
original Long Tân Cross to the Australian War Memorial in November 2017 – and the Cross
has been on public display since 6 December 2017. A replica Cross remains at the site of the
Battle in Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu Province (ie the former Phước Tuy Province).

Long Tân Cross Memorial - Vietnam War 49

Endnote: The Battle of Long Tân is not mentioned in the Châu Đức History (2004)50, the Đất
Đỏ History (2006), the Minh Đạm Base (Căn Cứ Minh Đạm) History (2006), the Xuyên Mộc
History (1985, 1989), the Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Monograph (2005), the Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Union
and Workers’ History, the Bình Ba Party History, the Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Armed Forces
History (2013), the Tân Thành District History (2014), the History of the Hòa Long Village
Party Chapter (2009), the D440 Battalion History (2011), The Đồng Nai Monograph (2001),
The Châu Thành District History (1988), Một Đời Chinh Chiến (A Life at War) - the memoir
of Major General Nguyễn Nam Hưng (2006) – nor in other reviewed histories and articles.

49
Translator’s (Chamberlain) Note:18 August 2011 – the principals in the photograph are: Graeme Sims (New
Zealand's Consul-General in Vietnam) and Captain Brett Fotheringham RNZN (Defence Attaché).
50
Translator’s (Chamberlain) Note: The History of the People’s Armed Forces of Châu Đức District (1945-
2014) includes the iconic photograph – “The Agony of War”, depicting the helicopter casevac of a 503/173rd
Airborne Brigade soldier who was KIA on 14 August 1966 in Long Khánh Province – but captioned as:
“Australian troops evacuate the body of a dead comrade.” A captured Châu Đức District circular dated 6
October 1966 noted that: “After their heavy defeat at Long Tân, the enemy mobilized 18,000 troops comprising
the 1st US Infantry Division and the 173 Airborne Brigade ((ie a reference to Operation Toledo – which began
on 10 August 1966)) ... on 24 August, the enemy struck Xuân Sơn and Quảng Giao” ((ie Operation Toledo
Phase II)) – see: VCAT Item F034600151.
 28

Units and boundaries - as at mid-1967

 29

Annex B to
Research Note 1/2019

List of Annexes to: Chamberlain, E.P., The Viet Cong D445 Battalion: Their Story
– and the Battle of Long Tan; published in 2016 51

Annex A – Key Cadre: D445 Battalion – Outline Biographies (nine).

Annex B – Senior Cadre: D445 Battalion.
Annex C – D445 Battalion: Strength Figures.
Annex D – The Probable Organisation of D445 Battalion – Mid-1966.
Annex E – The Battle of Long Tân: A Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) Summary.
Annex F – The Battle of Long Tân: Casualties and Losses.
Annex G – The Party in D445 Battalion.
Annex H – D445 Command and Political Reports – mid-1966.
Annex I – D445 Battalion: Medals Submission – 10 July 1966.
Annex J – Higher Headquarters.
Annex K – The History of the 5th Infantry Division (1965 – 2005): Extracts.
Annex L – The Battle of Long Tân 18/8/66 – NVA/VC Revisited
(a listing of participating elements).
Annex M – The Battle of Long Tân: D445 History – 1991.
Annex N – The 274th Regiment - Not at the Battle of Long Tân.
Annex O – The 275th Main Force Regiment.
Appendix 1: 275th Regiment Personnel KIA - Battle of Long Tân (140 names).
Appendix 2: Lieutenant General Nguyễn Thới Bưng – A Biography.
Appendix 3: The History of the 5th ((275th)) Infantry Regiment (2015) – Extract.
Appendix 4: List of Martyrs Killed at Long Tân – “18.8.66”.
(Gò Cát - Bà Rịa Cemetery List of “36” – February 2016).
Annex P – D440 Local Force Battalion.
Annex Q – The “Ambush Battle” at Long Tân (December 2014).
Annex R – The Battle of Long Tân – as related by the D445 rallier Huỳnh Văn Hoa.

Bibliography

Index

51
Free-to-read on the Internet at - https://www.scribd.com/doc/306536690 .
 30

“Tiến Lên” (“Advance”), 275th Regiment (unknown artist) 52

52
Sketch - a soldier with a PPS/Type 43 sub-machine gun, recovered on the battlefield by a member of 6RAR
after the Battle of Long Tân. The sketch – one among a sketch-book of 38 charcoal-based drawings, was
returned to Vietnamese authorities in September 2012 by the ADFA/UNSW “Wandering Souls” program. Hall,
R. Dr, “Operation Wandering Souls”, Wartime, Issue 55, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, July 2011, pp.25-
29. For the 2012 presentation, see Tiến Phong, “Cựu binh Úc và 38 ký họa bộ đội Việt Nam” (“Australian war
veterans and the 38 sketches of Vietnamese soldiers”), Hà Nội, 25 September 2012; and Châu Như Quỳnh,
“Tìm thấy 38 bức phác thảo xúc động về bộ đội cụ Hồ” (“38 moving sketches found of Uncle Hồ’s soldiers”),
Tin Mới (On-Line), Hà Nội, 28 September 2012. For detail, see also: Chamberlain, E.P., The Battle of Long
Tan: NVA/VC Documents, Weapons, Interrogation Reports – Research Note 5/2016, 4 June 2016.